I. The Broken City
The sun never shone on Edenfall . It hadn't since the Tree awoke. The city's light no longer came from the stars or the sky, but from roots that spread from the city center to its farthest reaches, as if the earth itself were burning from within. The distortion was palpable. Edenfall was no longer a city, but a vestige of what it once was .
Akihiko stood in the same spot where he had made the decision, the center of the city that was now his personal ruin . The roots rose above him, twisted and dark, while the Tree echoed within him . Each breath was harder than the last, as if the air itself were crushing him, reminding him of the sacrifice he had just made.
"You are the door. You are the seed."
The Tree's voice echoed in his mind, a constant he couldn't silence. The cycle was about to be completed , and he was no longer simply Akihiko Sora , the young man who had begun this journey. Now, he was the answer , the necessary sacrifice for the world's reconfiguration. But what would remain of him when it was all over? What would remain of Edenfall?
In the distance, the cathedral was now little more than a skeleton of stone and metal, shrouded in a black fog that seemed to devour everything in its path. The air smelled of sulfur and coal , and the ground trembled with a constant vibration, as if something were awakening beneath the city. Roots seemed to throb, spreading further and further, covering everything in their path.
"There's no going back." Shoen Rikudō 's voice interrupted his thoughts.
II. The Sacrifice of the Tree
Akihiko turned slowly. Shoen stood there, his figure a striking silhouette against the distorted horizon. He was no ordinary man. He was an extension of the Tree itself , its will made human form. Shoen's revelation had not been a mere discovery, but a brutal blow to everything Akihiko had ever believed .
"The Tree did not choose you for your strength, Akihiko. You are neither a hero nor a savior." Shoen advanced slowly toward him, his footsteps echoing on the earth that crunched beneath his weight. "You are the ultimate sacrifice."
Akihiko gritted his teeth, feeling the weight of the fragment inside his chest. The Tree's power was greater than he had imagined , but as this power increased, so did his understanding of what he had to do. Was this truly a sacrifice, or just another piece in a game of gods?
" You're nothing but a puppet!" Kaede shouted from the side, her voice filled with fury.
" Silence, " Shoen replied coldly, completely ignoring her presence.
The atmosphere grew more oppressive with every word they exchanged. The emptiness within Akihiko wasn't just a concept. It was a tangible burden consuming him as the city began to burn, the roots spreading as if fusing with everything they touched. Edenfall was no longer a place. It was a battlefield, a stage for what the Tree had begun and was about to bring to its culmination.
" What will remain of me?" Akihiko asked, his voice trembling, but filled with the determination of someone who had crossed too many boundaries.
"What remains of you, Akihiko, is only emptiness. The Tree feeds on your sacrifice and all that belongs to you. The final sacrifice is what closes the cycle . And the world will be reconfigured in its image."
III. The Heart of the Tree
Seeing the despair in Akihiko's eyes, Kaede began walking toward him, her steps slow but determined.
" No !" she cried, but her voice was barely audible over the roar of the roots twisting around her.
"Kaede, no…" Akihiko whispered, his gaze fixed on the abyss that opened before him. " You have to hold on. This isn't what you want. This isn't the end they told you about!" His voice was filled with pain, with despair, but also with hope.
Akihiko couldn't answer. The words faded from his mind, swallowed by the emptiness that already consumed him. Was it truly a sacrifice? Or had the Tree chosen him as the bridge between its will and that of humanity? Was he a monster, or a victim of something far greater?
But before she could make a decision, a piercing scream sliced through the air. From the center of the cathedral, a figure emerged from the shadows, shrouded in a cloak of ash and fire. Its presence was so overwhelming it seemed to tear through the very fabric of space .
It was Lucius , the last of the Seven Deadly Ones , a specter who had remained hidden in the shadows of Edenfall. Now, as the last guardian of the Tree, his power was immeasurable.
—This is the end of everything, Akihiko Sora. You cannot escape your destiny.
Lucius raised his hand, and the Tree's roots responded with incredible violence. The ground split open , and the air filled with a dark energy that seemed to absorb everything. Akihiko realized that his sacrifice wouldn't just affect Edenfall. It would be the beginning of a new cycle , where not only the city, but everything he knew, would be devoured by the Tree.
IV. The Last Election
Akihiko felt the weight of the decision. He knew the Tree was behind it all, but he also understood that the cycle couldn't be completed without him. The power he possessed was not only a gift, but a curse. And by accepting that truth, he also accepted that his sacrifice would be the catalyst for change .
"Kaede…" he said, his voice breaking but firm. "I'm ready."
Kaede tried to stop him, but it was too late. The Tree's energy had already begun to devour him, and the instant the void consumed him completely, Akihiko understood that the final decision was his , and no one else's.
In the heart of Edenfall, beneath the Tree's shadow, the void closed. And with it, the cycle began anew .